1
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Wang SS, Meng ZL, Zhang YW, Yan YS, Li LB. Prion protein E219K polymorphism: from the discovery of the KANNO blood group to interventions for human prion disease. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1392984. [PMID: 39050130 PMCID: PMC11266091 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1392984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
KANNO is a new human blood group that was recently discovered. The KANNO antigen shares the PRNP gene with the prion protein and the prion protein E219K polymorphism determines the presence or absence of the KANNO antigen and the development of anti-KANNO alloantibodies. These alloantibodies specifically react with prion proteins, which serve as substrates for conversion into pathological isoforms in some prion diseases and may serve as effective targets for resisting prion infection. These findings establish a potential link between the KANNO blood group and human prion disease via the prion protein E219K polymorphism. We reviewed the interesting correlation between the human PRNP gene's E219K polymorphism and the prion proteins it expresses, as well as human red blood cell antigens. Based on the immune serological principles of human blood cells, the prion protein E219K polymorphism may serve as a foundation for earlier molecular diagnosis and future drug development for prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Si Wang
- Department of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhao-Li Meng
- Department of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi-Wen Zhang
- Department of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi-Shuang Yan
- Department of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ling-Bo Li
- Aikang MedTech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
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2
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Rinauro DJ, Chiti F, Vendruscolo M, Limbocker R. Misfolded protein oligomers: mechanisms of formation, cytotoxic effects, and pharmacological approaches against protein misfolding diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:20. [PMID: 38378578 PMCID: PMC10877934 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00651-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The conversion of native peptides and proteins into amyloid aggregates is a hallmark of over 50 human disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Increasing evidence implicates misfolded protein oligomers produced during the amyloid formation process as the primary cytotoxic agents in many of these devastating conditions. In this review, we analyze the processes by which oligomers are formed, their structures, physicochemical properties, population dynamics, and the mechanisms of their cytotoxicity. We then focus on drug discovery strategies that target the formation of oligomers and their ability to disrupt cell physiology and trigger degenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon J Rinauro
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Ryan Limbocker
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 10996, USA.
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3
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Asarnow D, Becker VA, Bobe D, Dubbledam C, Johnston JD, Kopylov M, Lavoie NR, Li Q, Mattingly JM, Mendez JH, Paraan M, Turner J, Upadhye V, Walsh RM, Gupta M, Eng ET. Recent advances in infectious disease research using cryo-electron tomography. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1296941. [PMID: 38288336 PMCID: PMC10822977 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1296941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
With the increasing spread of infectious diseases worldwide, there is an urgent need for novel strategies to combat them. Cryogenic sample electron microscopy (cryo-EM) techniques, particularly electron tomography (cryo-ET), have revolutionized the field of infectious disease research by enabling multiscale observation of biological structures in a near-native state. This review highlights the recent advances in infectious disease research using cryo-ET and discusses the potential of this structural biology technique to help discover mechanisms of infection in native environments and guiding in the right direction for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Asarnow
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vada A. Becker
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Daija Bobe
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Charlie Dubbledam
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jake D. Johnston
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mykhailo Kopylov
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nathalie R. Lavoie
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Qiuye Li
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jacob M. Mattingly
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joshua H. Mendez
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mohammadreza Paraan
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jack Turner
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Viraj Upadhye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Richard M. Walsh
- Harvard Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center for Structural Biology and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Meghna Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Edward T. Eng
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, United States
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4
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Leisi EV, Moiseenko AV, Kudryavtseva SS, Pozdyshev DV, Muronetz VI, Kurochkina LP. Bacteriophage-encoded chaperonins stimulate prion protein fibrillation in an ATP-dependent manner. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1872:140965. [PMID: 37739110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of the various prion diseases is based on the conformational conversion of the prion protein from its physiological cellular form to the insoluble scrapie isoform. Several chaperones, including the Hsp60 family of group I chaperonins, are known to contribute to this transformation, but data on their effects are scarce and conflicting. In this work, two GroEL-like phage chaperonins, the single-ring OBP and the double-ring EL, were found to stimulate monomeric prion protein fibrillation in an ATP-dependent manner. The resulting fibrils were characterised by thioflavin T fluorescence, electron microscopy, proteinase K digestion assay and other methods. In the presence of ATP, chaperonins were found to promote the conversion of prion protein monomers into short amyloid fibrils with their further aggregation into less toxic large clusters. Fibrils generated with the assistance of phage chaperonins differ in morphology and properties from those formed spontaneously from monomeric prion in the presence of denaturants at acidic pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia V Leisi
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 73, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V Moiseenko
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sofia S Kudryavtseva
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis V Pozdyshev
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir I Muronetz
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia; Butlerov Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Lidia P Kurochkina
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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5
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Tao J, Zeng Y, Dai B, Liu Y, Pan X, Wang LQ, Chen J, Zhou Y, Lu Z, Xie L, Liang Y. Excess PrP C inhibits muscle cell differentiation via miRNA-enhanced liquid-liquid phase separation implicated in myopathy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8131. [PMID: 38065962 PMCID: PMC10709375 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43826-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is required for skeletal muscle function. Here, we report that a higher level of PrPC accumulates in the cytoplasm of the skeletal muscle of six myopathy patients compared to controls. PrPC inhibits skeletal muscle cell autophagy, and blocks myoblast differentiation. PrPC selectively binds to a subset of miRNAs during myoblast differentiation, and the colocalization of PrPC and miR-214-3p was observed in the skeletal muscle of six myopathy patients with excessive PrPC. We demonstrate that PrPC is overexpressed in skeletal muscle cells under pathological conditions, inhibits muscle cell differentiation by physically interacting with a subset of miRNAs, and selectively recruits these miRNAs into its phase-separated condensate in living myoblasts, which in turn enhances liquid-liquid phase separation of PrPC, promotes pathological aggregation of PrP, and results in the inhibition of autophagy-related protein 5-dependent autophagy and muscle bundle formation in myopathy patients characterized by incomplete muscle regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Tao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yanping Zeng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Bin Dai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Xiaohan Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zuneng Lu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Liwei Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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6
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Legname G. Copper coordination modulates prion conversion and infectivity in mammalian prion proteins. Prion 2023; 17:1-6. [PMID: 36597284 PMCID: PMC9815218 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2163835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) is a ubiquitous protein involved in many relevant functions in the central nervous system. In addition to its physiological functions PrPC plays a central role in a group of invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorders collectively called prion diseases. In fact, the protein is a substrate in a process in which it converts into an infectious and pathological form denoted as prion. The protein has a unique primary structure where the unstructured N-terminal moiety possesses characteristic sequences wherein histidines are able to coordinate metal ions, in particular copper ions. These sequences are called octarepeats for their characteristic length. Moreover, a non-octarepeat fifth-copper binding site is present where copper coordination seems to control infectivity. In this review, I will argue that these sequences may play a significant role in modulating prion conversion and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy,CONTACT Giuseppe Legname Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste34136, Italy
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7
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Bai Y, Zhang S, Dong H, Liu Y, Liu C, Zhang X. Advanced Techniques for Detecting Protein Misfolding and Aggregation in Cellular Environments. Chem Rev 2023; 123:12254-12311. [PMID: 37874548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation, a key contributor to the progression of numerous neurodegenerative diseases, results in functional deficiencies and the creation of harmful intermediates. Detailed visualization of this misfolding process is of paramount importance for improving our understanding of disease mechanisms and for the development of potential therapeutic strategies. While in vitro studies using purified proteins have been instrumental in delivering significant insights into protein misfolding, the behavior of these proteins in the complex milieu of living cells often diverges significantly from such simplified environments. Biomedical imaging performed in cell provides cellular-level information with high physiological and pathological relevance, often surpassing the depth of information attainable through in vitro methods. This review highlights a variety of methodologies used to scrutinize protein misfolding within biological systems. This includes optical-based methods, strategies leaning on mass spectrometry, in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance, and cryo-electron microscopy. Recent advancements in these techniques have notably deepened our understanding of protein misfolding processes and the features of the resulting misfolded species within living cells. The progression in these fields promises to catalyze further breakthroughs in our comprehension of neurodegenerative disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Bai
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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8
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Li XN, Gao Y, Li Y, Yin JX, Yi CW, Yuan HY, Huang JJ, Wang LQ, Chen J, Liang Y. Arg177 and Asp159 from dog prion protein slow liquid-liquid phase separation and inhibit amyloid formation of human prion protein. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105329. [PMID: 37805139 PMCID: PMC10641668 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of transmissible neurodegenerative diseases primarily caused by the conformational conversion of prion protein (PrP) from α-helix-dominant cellular prion protein (PrPC) to β-sheet-rich pathological aggregated form of PrPSc in many mammalian species. Dogs exhibit resistance to prion diseases, but the mechanism behind the phenomenon remains poorly understood. Compared with human PrP and mouse PrP, dog PrP has two unique amino acid residues, Arg177 and Asp159. Because PrPC contains a low-complexity and intrinsically disordered region in its N-terminal domain, it undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro and forms protein condensates. However, little is known about whether these two unique residues modulate the formation of PrPC condensates. Here, using confocal microscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assays, thioflavin T binding assays, and transmission electron microscopy, we report that Arg177 and Asp159 from the dog PrP slow the LLPS of full-length human PrPC, shifting the equilibrium phase boundary to higher protein concentrations and inhibit amyloid formation of the human protein. In sharp contrast, His177 and Asn159 from the human PrP enhance the LLPS of full-length dog PrPC, shifting the equilibrium phase boundary to lower protein concentrations, and promote fibril formation of the canid protein. Collectively, these results demonstrate how LLPS and amyloid formation of PrP are inhibited by a single residue Arg177 or Asp159 associated with prion disease resistance, and how LLPS and fibril formation of PrP are promoted by a single residue His177 or Asn159. Therefore, Arg177/His177 and Asp159/Asn159 are key residues in modulating PrPC liquid-phase condensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Ning Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin-Xu Yin
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuan-Wei Yi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun-Jie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
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Naskar S, Gour N. Realization of Amyloid-like Aggregation as a Common Cause for Pathogenesis in Diseases. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1523. [PMID: 37511898 PMCID: PMC10381831 DOI: 10.3390/life13071523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloids were conventionally referred to as extracellular and intracellular accumulation of Aβ42 peptide, which causes the formation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles inside the brain leading to the pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently, amyloid-like deposition was found in the etiology of prion diseases, Parkinson's disease, type II diabetes, and cancer, which was attributed to the aggregation of prion protein, α-Synuclein, islet amyloid polypeptide protein, and p53 protein, respectively. Hence, traditionally amyloids were considered aggregates formed exclusively by proteins or peptides. However, since the last decade, it has been discovered that other metabolites, like single amino acids, nucleobases, lipids, glucose derivatives, etc., have a propensity to form amyloid-like toxic assemblies. Several studies suggest direct implications of these metabolite assemblies in the patho-physiology of various inborn errors of metabolisms like phenylketonuria, tyrosinemia, cystinuria, and Gaucher's disease, to name a few. In this review, we present a comprehensive literature overview that suggests amyloid-like structure formation as a common phenomenon for disease progression and pathogenesis in multiple syndromes. The review is devoted to providing readers with a broad knowledge of the structure, mode of formation, propagation, and transmission of different extracellular amyloids and their implications in the pathogenesis of diseases. We strongly believe a review on this topic is urgently required to create awareness about the understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanism behind the origin of diseases from an amyloid perspective and possibly look for a common therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these maladies by designing generic amyloid inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumick Naskar
- Department of Chemistry, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana 382740, Gujarat, India
| | - Nidhi Gour
- Department of Chemistry, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana 382740, Gujarat, India
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Šulskis D, Šneiderienė G, Žiaunys M, Smirnovas V. The seeding barrier between human and Syrian hamster prion protein amyloid fibrils is determined by β2-α2 loop sequence elements. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 238:124038. [PMID: 36921824 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Transmissive spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases caused by infectious protein particles, known as prions. Prions are formed from cellular prion proteins (PrP) and can be transmitted between different mammalian species. Subsequently, the host's PrPs are then converted to prions, followed by the onset of TSE. Interspecies prion infectivity is governed by the amino acid sequence differences of PrPs and prions' inability to replicate in a host is termed a species barrier. Here, we investigated the amino acid sequence determinants of species barrier between recombinant human (rHuPrP) and hamster (rShaPrP) prion protein amyloid fibrils. We discovered that a unidirectional species barrier between rShaPrP and rHuPrP amyloid fibrils exists. This barrier stems from the difference of amino acid sequences in the conserved β2-α2 loop region. Our results revealed that individual amino acids in the β2-α2 loop region are critical for overcoming the barrier between human and hamster prion protein amyloid fibrils in vitro. Furthermore, the barrier was only possible to observe through aggregation kinetics, as the secondary structure rHuPrP fibrils was not affected by the cross-seeding. Overall, we demonstrated the mechanistic pathway behind this interspecies barrier phenomenon, which increases our understanding of prion-related disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius Šulskis
- Amyloid Research Sector, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Greta Šneiderienė
- Amyloid Research Sector, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Mantas Žiaunys
- Amyloid Research Sector, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vytautas Smirnovas
- Amyloid Research Sector, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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11
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Block AJ, York TC, Benedict R, Ma J, Bartz JC. Prion protein amino acid sequence influences formation of authentic synthetic PrP Sc. Sci Rep 2023; 13:441. [PMID: 36624174 PMCID: PMC9829857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26300-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic prions, generated de novo from minimal, non-infectious components, cause bona fide prion disease in animals. Transmission of synthetic prions to hosts expressing syngeneic PrPC results in extended, variable incubation periods and incomplete attack rates. In contrast, murine synthetic prions (MSP) generated via PMCA with minimal cofactors readily infected mice and hamsters and rapidly adapted to both species. To investigate if hamster synthetic prions (HSP) generated under the same conditions as the MSP are also highly infectious, we inoculated hamsters with HSP generated with either hamster wild type or mutant (ΔG54, ΔG54/M139I, M139I/I205M) recombinant PrP. None of the inoculated hamsters developed clinical signs of prion disease, however, brain homogenate from HSPWT- and HSPΔG54-infected hamsters contained PrPSc, indicating subclinical infection. Serial passage in hamsters resulted in clinical disease at second passage accompanied by changes in incubation period and PrPSc conformational stability between second and third passage. These data suggest the HSP, in contrast to the MSP, are not comprised of PrPSc, and instead generate authentic PrPSc via deformed templating. Differences in infectivity between the MSP and HSP suggest that, under similar generation conditions, the amino acid sequence of PrP influences generation of authentic PrPSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J. Block
- grid.254748.80000 0004 1936 8876Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178 USA
| | - Taylor C. York
- grid.254748.80000 0004 1936 8876Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178 USA
| | - Romilly Benedict
- grid.17088.360000 0001 2150 1785Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
| | - Jiyan Ma
- grid.251017.00000 0004 0406 2057Van Andel Institute, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Grand Rapids, MI USA
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- grid.254748.80000 0004 1936 8876Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178 USA
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12
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Jheng CP, Lee CI. Combination of structure-based virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics approaches for the discovery of anti-prion fibril flavonoids. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1088733. [PMID: 36685276 PMCID: PMC9849400 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1088733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of rare neurodegenerative diseases caused by the structural conversion of cellular prion into Scrapie prion resulting aggregated fibrils. Therapy of prion diseases has been developed for several decades, especially drug designs based on the structure of prion monomers. Unfortunately, none of the designed anti-prion drugs function well clinically. To fight against prion fibrils, a drug design based on the precise structure of mammalian prion fibrils is highly required. Fortunately, based on the advantage of newly advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in the deconvolution of large complexes, three prion fibril structures were resolved in the last 2 years. Based on the cryo-EM solved prion fibril structures, we are able to find some molecules fighting against prion fibrils. Quercetin, one flavonoid molecule in the polyphenol group, has been found to disaggregate the prion fibrils in vitro. In this study, we performed the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation on quercetin-like molecules possessing pharmacological properties to evaluate the anti-prion ability of tested molecules. As a result, four quercetin-like molecules interact with prion fibril and decrease the β-strand content by converting some β-strands into loop and helical structures to disintegrate the existing fibril structure. The results of this study are significant in the treatment of prion diseases, and the approaches used in this study are applicable to other amyloid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Ping Jheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-I Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan,Center for Nano Bio-Detections, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan,Center for Innovative Research on Aging Society (CIRAS), National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan,*Correspondence: Cheng-I Lee,
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13
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Mollica L, Giachin G. Recognition Mechanisms between a Nanobody and Disordered Epitopes of the Human Prion Protein: An Integrative Molecular Dynamics Study. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 63:531-545. [PMID: 36580661 PMCID: PMC9875307 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy using antibodies to target the aggregation of flexible proteins holds promise for therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding. Prions or PrPSc, the causal agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), represent a model target for immunotherapies as TSE are prototypical protein misfolding diseases. The X-ray crystal structure of the wild-type (WT) human prion protein (HuPrP) bound to a camelid antibody fragment, denoted as Nanobody 484 (Nb484), has been previously solved. Nb484 was found to inhibit prion aggregation in vitro through a unique mechanism of structural stabilization of two disordered epitopes, that is, the palindromic motif (residues 113-120) and the β2-α2 loop region (residues 164-185). The study of the structural basis for antibody recognition of flexible proteins requires appropriate sampling techniques for the identification of conformational states occurring in disordered epitopes. To elucidate the Nb484-HuPrP recognition mechanisms, here we applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations complemented with available NMR and X-ray crystallography data collected on the WT HuPrP to describe the conformational spaces occurring on HuPrP prior to Nb484 binding. We observe the experimentally determined binding competent conformations within the ensembles of pre-existing conformational states in solution before binding. We also described the Nb484 recognition mechanisms in two HuPrP carrying a polymorphism (E219K) and a TSE-causing mutation (V210I). Our hybrid approaches allow the identification of dynamic conformational landscapes existing on HuPrP and highly characterized by molecular disorder to identify physiologically relevant and druggable transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Mollica
- Department
of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Segrate, 20090 Milan, Italy,
| | - Gabriele Giachin
- Department
of Chemical Sciences (DiSC), University
of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy,
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14
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Cryo-EM structure of disease-related prion fibrils provides insights into seeding barriers. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:962-965. [PMID: 36097290 PMCID: PMC9639217 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00833-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
One of the least understood aspects of prion diseases is the structure of infectious prion protein aggregates. Here we report a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of amyloid fibrils formed by human prion protein with the Y145Stop mutation that is associated with a familial prion disease. This structural insight allows us not only to explain previous biochemical findings, but also provides direct support for the conformational adaptability model of prion transmissibility barriers.
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15
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Electrostatics in Computational Biophysics and Its Implications for Disease Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810347. [PMID: 36142260 PMCID: PMC9499338 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This review outlines the role of electrostatics in computational molecular biophysics and its implication in altering wild-type characteristics of biological macromolecules, and thus the contribution of electrostatics to disease mechanisms. The work is not intended to review existing computational approaches or to propose further developments. Instead, it summarizes the outcomes of relevant studies and provides a generalized classification of major mechanisms that involve electrostatic effects in both wild-type and mutant biological macromolecules. It emphasizes the complex role of electrostatics in molecular biophysics, such that the long range of electrostatic interactions causes them to dominate all other forces at distances larger than several Angstroms, while at the same time, the alteration of short-range wild-type electrostatic pairwise interactions can have pronounced effects as well. Because of this dual nature of electrostatic interactions, being dominant at long-range and being very specific at short-range, their implications for wild-type structure and function are quite pronounced. Therefore, any disruption of the complex electrostatic network of interactions may abolish wild-type functionality and could be the dominant factor contributing to pathogenicity. However, we also outline that due to the plasticity of biological macromolecules, the effect of amino acid mutation may be reduced, and thus a charge deletion or insertion may not necessarily be deleterious.
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16
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Hallinan GI, Ozcan KA, Hoq MR, Cracco L, Vago FS, Bharath SR, Li D, Jacobsen M, Doud EH, Mosley AL, Fernandez A, Garringer HJ, Jiang W, Ghetti B, Vidal R. Cryo-EM structures of prion protein filaments from Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:509-520. [PMID: 35819518 PMCID: PMC9381446 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02461-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) aggregation and formation of PrP amyloid (APrP) are central events in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. In the dominantly inherited prion protein amyloidosis known as Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease, plaques made of PrP amyloid are present throughout the brain. The c.593t > c mutation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) results in a phenylalanine to serine amino acid substitution at PrP residue 198 (F198S) and causes the most severe amyloidosis among GSS variants. It has been shown that neurodegeneration in this disease is associated with the presence of extracellular APrP plaques and neuronal intracytoplasmic Tau inclusions, that have been shown to contain paired helical filaments identical to those found in Alzheimer disease. Using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we determined for the first time the structures of filaments of human APrP, isolated post-mortem from the brain of two symptomatic PRNP F198S mutation carriers. We report that in GSS (F198S) APrP filaments are composed of dimeric, trimeric and tetrameric left-handed protofilaments with their protomers sharing a common protein fold. The protomers in the cross-β spines consist of 62 amino acids and span from glycine 80 to phenylalanine 141, adopting a previously unseen spiral fold with a thicker outer layer and a thinner inner layer. Each protomer comprises nine short β-strands, with the β1 and β8 strands, as well as the β4 and β9 strands, forming a steric zipper. The data obtained by cryo-EM provide insights into the structural complexity of the PrP filament in a dominantly inherited human PrP amyloidosis. The novel findings highlight the urgency of extending our knowledge of the filaments' structures that may underlie distinct clinical and pathologic phenotypes of human neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace I. Hallinan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Kadir A. Ozcan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Md Rejaul Hoq
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Laura Cracco
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Frank S. Vago
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Sakshibeedu R. Bharath
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Daoyi Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Max Jacobsen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Emma H. Doud
- Center for Proteome Analysis and Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Amber L. Mosley
- Center for Proteome Analysis and Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Anllely Fernandez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Holly J. Garringer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
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17
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Manka SW, Wenborn A, Collinge J, Wadsworth JDF. Prion strains viewed through the lens of cryo-EM. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:167-178. [PMID: 36028585 PMCID: PMC10113314 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03676-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian prions are lethal transmissible pathogens that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. They consist of fibrils of misfolded, host-encoded prion protein (PrP) which propagate through templated protein polymerisation. Prion strains produce distinct clinicopathological phenotypes in the same host and appear to be encoded by distinct misfolded PrP conformations and assembly states. Despite fundamental advances in our understanding of prion biology, key knowledge gaps remain. These include precise delineation of prion replication mechanisms, detailed explanation of the molecular basis of prion strains and inter-species transmission barriers, and the structural definition of neurotoxic PrP species. Central to addressing these questions is the determination of prion structure. While high-resolution definition of ex vivo prion fibrils once seemed unlikely, recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and computational methods for 3D reconstruction of amyloids have now made this possible. Recently, near-atomic resolution structures of highly infectious, ex vivo prion fibrils from hamster 263K and mouse RML prion strains were reported. The fibrils have a comparable parallel in-register intermolecular β-sheet (PIRIBS) architecture that now provides a structural foundation for understanding prion strain diversity in mammals. Here, we review these new findings and discuss directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Adam Wenborn
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
| | - Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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18
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Artikis E, Kraus A, Caughey B. Structural biology of ex vivo mammalian prions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102181. [PMID: 35752366 PMCID: PMC9293645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The structures of prion protein (PrP)-based mammalian prions have long been elusive. However, cryo-EM has begun to reveal the near-atomic resolution structures of fully infectious ex vivo mammalian prion fibrils as well as relatively innocuous synthetic PrP amyloids. Comparisons of these various types of PrP fibrils are now providing initial clues to structural features that correlate with pathogenicity. As first indicated by electron paramagnetic resonance and solid-state NMR studies of synthetic amyloids, all sufficiently resolved PrP fibrils of any sort (n > 10) have parallel in-register intermolecular β-stack architectures. Cryo-EM has shown that infectious brain-derived prion fibrils of the rodent-adapted 263K and RML scrapie strains have much larger ordered cores than the synthetic fibrils. These bona fide prion strains share major structural motifs, but the conformational details and the overall shape of the fibril cross sections differ markedly. Such motif variations, as well as differences in sequence within the ordered polypeptide cores, likely contribute to strain-dependent templating. When present, N-linked glycans and glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors project outward from the fibril surface. For the mouse RML strain, these posttranslational modifications have little effect on the core structure. In the GPI-anchored prion structures, a linear array of GPI anchors along the twisting fibril axis appears likely to bind membranes in vivo, and as such, may account for pathognomonic membrane distortions seen in prion diseases. In this review, we focus on these infectious prion structures and their implications regarding prion replication mechanisms, strains, transmission barriers, and molecular pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrosini Artikis
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA.
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19
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Manka SW, Zhang W, Wenborn A, Betts J, Joiner S, Saibil HR, Collinge J, Wadsworth JDF. 2.7 Å cryo-EM structure of ex vivo RML prion fibrils. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4004. [PMID: 35831275 PMCID: PMC9279362 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30457-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian prions propagate as distinct strains and are composed of multichain assemblies of misfolded host-encoded prion protein (PrP). Here, we present a near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structure of PrP fibrils present in highly infectious prion rod preparations isolated from the brains of RML prion-infected mice. We found that prion rods comprise single-protofilament helical amyloid fibrils that coexist with twisted pairs of the same protofilaments. Each rung of the protofilament is formed by a single PrP monomer with the ordered core comprising PrP residues 94-225, which folds to create two asymmetric lobes with the N-linked glycans and the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor projecting from the C-terminal lobe. The overall architecture is comparable to that of recently reported PrP fibrils isolated from the brain of hamsters infected with the 263K prion strain. However, there are marked conformational variations that could result from differences in PrP sequence and/or represent distinguishing features of the distinct prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Wenjuan Zhang
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Adam Wenborn
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jemma Betts
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Susan Joiner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Helen R Saibil
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
| | - Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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20
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Wang LQ, Ma Y, Yuan HY, Zhao K, Zhang MY, Wang Q, Huang X, Xu WC, Dai B, Chen J, Li D, Zhang D, Wang Z, Zou L, Yin P, Liu C, Liang Y. Cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human SOD1 reveals its conformational conversion. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3491. [PMID: 35715417 PMCID: PMC9205981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. Misfolded Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. SOD1 fibrils formed in vitro share toxic properties with ALS inclusions. Here we produced cytotoxic amyloid fibrils from full-length apo human SOD1 under reducing conditions and determined the atomic structure using cryo-EM. The SOD1 fibril consists of a single protofilament with a left-handed helix. The fibril core exhibits a serpentine fold comprising N-terminal segment (residues 3–55) and C-terminal segment (residues 86–153) with an intrinsic disordered segment. The two segments are zipped up by three salt bridge pairs. By comparison with the structure of apo SOD1 dimer, we propose that eight β-strands (to form a β-barrel) and one α-helix in the subunit of apo SOD1 convert into thirteen β-strands stabilized by five hydrophobic cavities in the SOD1 fibril. Our data provide insights into how SOD1 converts between structurally and functionally distinct states. Misfolded SOD1 has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. Here the authors have determined the cryo-EM structure of SOD1 fibrils, providing insights into the conversion of SOD1 from its immature form into an aggregated form during pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yeyang Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Mu-Ya Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen-Chang Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Dai
- Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Delin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengzhi Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Liangyu Zou
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China. .,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China.
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Caughey
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Heidi G. Standke
- Department of Pathology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Efrosini Artikis
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Forrest Hoyt
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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22
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article provides an overview of the neuropathology of common age-related dementing disorders, focusing on the pathologies that underlie Alzheimer disease (AD) and related dementias, including Lewy body dementias, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, limbic-predominant age-related transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) encephalopathy (LATE), and mixed-etiology dementias. This article also discusses the underlying proteinopathies of neurodegenerative diseases (eg, amyloid-β, paired helical filament tau, α-synuclein, and TDP-43 pathology) and vascular pathologies, including tissue injury (eg, infarcts, hemorrhages) with or without vessel disease. RECENT FINDINGS New criteria for AD pathologic diagnosis highlight amyloid-β as the sine qua non of AD; they require molecular markers of amyloid and establish a minimum threshold of Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage 3. Pathologic diagnosis is separated from clinical disease (ie, pathologic diagnosis no longer requires dementia). TDP-43 pathology, a major pathology in a frontotemporal dementia subtype, was found as a central pathology in LATE, a newly named amnestic disorder. Multiple pathologies (often co-occurring with AD) contribute to dementia and add complexity to the clinical picture. Conversely, Lewy body, LATE, and vascular dementias often have accompanying AD pathology. Pathology and biomarker studies highlight subclinical pathologies in older people without cognitive impairment. This resilience to brain pathology is common and is known as cognitive reserve. SUMMARY The pathologies of dementia in aging are most commonly amyloid, tangles, Lewy bodies, TDP-43, hippocampal sclerosis, and vascular pathologies. These pathologies often co-occur (mixed pathologies), which may make specific clinical diagnoses difficult. In addition, dementia-related pathologies are often subclinical, suggesting varying levels of resilience in older people.
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23
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Uliassi E, Nikolic L, Bolognesi ML, Legname G. Therapeutic strategies for identifying small molecules against prion diseases. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:337-347. [PMID: 34989851 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03573-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders, for which there are no effective therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The main pathological hallmark has been identified as conformational changes of the cellular isoform prion protein (PrPC) to a misfolded isoform of the prion protein (PrPSc). Targeting PrPC and its conversion to PrPSc is still the central dogma in prion drug discovery, particularly in in silico and in vitro screening endeavors, leading to the identification of many small molecules with therapeutic potential. Nonetheless, multiple pathological targets are critically involved in the intricate pathogenesis of prion diseases. In this context, multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) emerge as valuable therapeutic approach for their potential to effectively counteract the complex etiopathogenesis by simultaneously modulating multiple targets. In addition, diagnosis occurs late in the disease process, and consequently a successful therapeutic intervention cannot be provided. In this respect, small molecule theranostics, which combine imaging and therapeutic properties, showed tremendous potential to cure and diagnose in vivo prion diseases. Herein, we review the major advances in prion drug discovery, from anti-prion small molecules identified by means of in silico and in vitro screening approaches to two rational strategies, namely MTDLs and theranostics, that have led to the identification of novel compounds with an expanded anti-prion profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Uliassi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lea Nikolic
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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